Anthony Gordon’s move to Barcelona has been thrown into a state of limbo, with the club repeatedly delaying his official unveiling despite the England winger having passed his medical and signed a five-year contract. The 25-year-old was due to be presented to supporters at 12:30 BST on Friday, but minor paperwork issues have forced the La Liga champions to push back the announcement on multiple occasions. A live stream on Barcelona’s YouTube channel scheduled for 5.45pm later that day began but still left fans waiting for confirmation.
The delay caps a dramatic week of negotiations that saw sporting director Deco meet Gordon’s representatives on Monday, before news broke on Wednesday that a deal worth an initial £70million had been struck with Newcastle United. Gordon arrived in Spain on Thursday afternoon and was pictured entering the club’s offices, having already completed the formalities of a five-year contract. Barcelona have since indicated that the presentation will go ahead once the outstanding administrative hurdles are cleared, though no revised time has been given.
Complex financial structure
The transfer represents one of Barcelona’s most significant outlays in recent years, despite the club’s well-documented financial constraints. The fee is structured as an initial €80million (£69.3million) with a further €10million in performance-related bonuses, potentially taking the total to €90million. Barcelona have negotiated to pay the guaranteed portion in instalments over several years, a move designed to ease the immediate strain on their books. Newcastle United will also receive a percentage of any future sale of Gordon, though the exact figure has not been disclosed.
The bonus structure is split into two distinct categories. €5million is tied to Gordon’s on-pitch involvement, triggered if he plays in more than 60 per cent of matches per season. The remaining €5million is contingent on collective success, linked to Barcelona winning major trophies during his time at the club. These clauses mirror the club’s broader strategy of linking payments to performance, a common practice given their ongoing reliance on revenue from player sales under La Liga’s 1:1 spending rule, which they have now returned to.
Gordon’s personal terms are understood to be worth approximately €7million net per season, effectively doubling his wages at Newcastle. That figure is significantly lower than what Marcus Rashford would have earned had Barcelona opted to sign him permanently, a detail that has raised eyebrows given the club’s recent pursuit of the Manchester United loanee.
Everton, Gordon’s former club, are set to benefit handsomely from the move. A 15 per cent sell-on clause, written into the £45million deal that took Gordon from Merseyside to Tyneside in January 2023, means they will receive a slice of the profit. That is estimated to be around €12million, or roughly £10.4million, providing a welcome windfall for a club still navigating its own financial recovery.
Fierce competition and Gordon’s choice
Barcelona saw off stiff competition to secure Gordon’s signature. Bayern Munich had agreed personal terms with the winger and maintained interest for several weeks, but the Bundesliga side refused to go beyond their £60million valuation. Liverpool, who came close to signing Gordon during Euro 2024—going as far as setting up a medical in Germany before Newcastle pulled the plug—also made strong contact. Ultimately, Gordon’s preference was described as a move to Catalonia, with club president Joan Laporta reportedly playing a decisive role by speaking to the player directly.
Newcastle’s decision to sell was driven by a combination of factors. The £70million fee makes it the second most expensive sale in the club’s history, trailing only Alexander Isak’s £125million move to Liverpool last summer. The Magpies are under pressure to meet financial regulations and fund a squad overhaul after a disappointing 12th-place finish in the Premier League. Manager Eddie Howe had previously acknowledged that the uncertainty surrounding Gordon’s future was affecting team selection, admitting he would not play a player he felt was not fully committed. Gordon missed the final six games of the season amid the speculation.
The forward ended the campaign as Newcastle’s top scorer with 18 goals, including 10 in the Champions League—a competition in which he broke Alan Shearer’s club record. His form attracted interest from across Europe, and Barcelona moved swiftly after Deco’s initial talks, keen to avoid a repeat of the protracted Isak saga that had dominated the previous summer.
Rashford’s future in doubt
Gordon’s arrival in Catalonia has cast fresh uncertainty over Marcus Rashford’s long-term prospects at the club. The Manchester United forward has impressed during his loan spell, but Barcelona’s willingness to spend heavily on Gordon has been interpreted as a sign that they do not see a permanent deal for Rashford as a priority. The La Liga champions have an option to buy the England international for £26million, with a deadline of June 15 to trigger the clause. However, sources indicate that Barcelona are more likely to seek another season-long loan rather than a permanent transfer, a stance that clashes with United’s desire to sell.
The financial logic of signing Gordon over Rashford has been questioned given Barcelona’s previous difficulties in meeting wage demands. But the lower salary commanded by the Newcastle man appears to have tipped the balance. Reports also suggest that the potential arrival of Julian Alvarez, or a free transfer for Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, would further reduce the likelihood of Rashford being retained.
Gordon is expected to join up with Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for their pre-World Cup training camp in Florida once his presentation is complete. The Premier League and La Liga transfer windows both close on August 30, leaving time for further movement at both Barcelona and Newcastle, who have already spent heavily on signings such as Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga—deals that have prompted questions about a possible “panic tax” on the club’s recruitment. Newcastle’s regret over not including a sell-on clause in Elliot Anderson’s move to Nottingham Forest has also been noted, a lesson they appear to have learned with Gordon.
